The mule track to Moglio

Up in the hills there is still a strong sense of tradition, another reason to take this old mule track to Moglio.

The view over the bay gives you a very good excuse to stop off along the route to soak up the panorama, whilst the very pretty village of Moglio and its colourful houses awaits you.

The first part of the route is lined by dry stone walls, olive groves, and greenhouses as it sets off fairly steeply uphill before flattening out. The whole route takes less than two hours to walk, with plenty of time for stops to admire the captivating views that open up over Alassio.

Set off by taking the path on the right of the square in front of the cemetery and continue heading uphill until you reach the Molino Ibiza building. From here, continue along the road for a hundred metres and then take the footpath on the left, running alongside Moglio cemetery until you reach San Sebastiano church. Pass the church on the right and continue up Via Tonnarotti, crossing the square. On the right take a cobbled track which crosses the whole village to Cima di Moglio square.
 
Here, on Sundays between late July and early August, the Società di Mutuo Soccorso Mogliese organises a gnocchi festival, in celebration of the handmade potato dumplings, and another honouring panino della ventre, the tuna tripe sandwiches for which Moglio is famous. If you have never tried this unusual sandwich then this is your chance, you will be amazed by the flavour!

The origins of this dish date back to the turn of the 20th century, when the tuna fishermen of Moglio would travel seasonally to work in the tuna fisheries in Sardinia, Sicily, and Calabria. There, rather than catching fish, they would be employed to carve up and cook the prized bluefin tuna, which used to be plentiful in the sea off Alassio. The ventre, which is the dried and salted stomach of the tuna fish, was given to the men as their payment. This gave rise to the special recipe of cooking the tripe in a sauce and the traditional recipe is still used today - although every family in the village has their own version!